Plan before leaving home to keep kids safe while traveling
We were visiting Thailand when I encountered my worst parenting nightmare — my 5-year-old daughter disappeared. She was with us in the courtyard of the guesthouse, until she wasn’t. My husband and I spent 35 terrifying minutes trying to locate her. She eventually returned safely on her own from what...
Mon Incline makes list of world’s coolest public transit rides
We in Pittsburgh know how cool the Inclines are. Now, maybe the rest of the world will get clued in. Atlas Obscura, one of the web’s neatest travel sites, has released a list: 18 of the World’s Most Wondrous Public Transportation Options. “One of the greatest ways to experience a...
Altoona’s Lakemont Park, with world’s oldest roller coaster, is back open for rides
No doubt, Pennsylvania’s got some amazing things. But the world’s oldest wooden roller coaster? Yep, we got that — it’s Leap the Dips at Lakemont Park in Altoona, which reopens to the public after more than two years of renovations. In March 2017, Lakemont announced it was closing for renovations....
New Jersey beach smoking ban in place for start of summer
SEA GIRT, N.J. — Smoking and vaping will be banned on nearly every public beach in New Jersey this summer under tougher new restrictions. Nonsmokers are rejoicing over the ban, which also applies to public parks. But some smokers are feeling discriminated against by the law, which took effect in...
Outer Banks’ Ocracoke beach places 2nd on ‘Dr. Beach’ list
Heading to the Outer Banks this summer? The roads might be even more crowded this year as one of the OBX beaches made an annual list of best beaches. Ocracoke Lifeguarded Beach on North Carolina’s Outer Banks placed second on the annual ”Dr. Beach” best beach list. The list is...
Travel tip: These 9 countries offer more bang for the buck
If you’re looking for more bang for your international travel buck, SmarterTravel has a list of countries with the best exchange rates for the U.S. dollar. As an added bonus, seven of the nine countries listed are right here in the Western Hemisphere. Whether you’re on a tight budget or...
Safe selfies: Here’s a checklist for taking your travel photos
Are you practicing safe selfies? It might be time to examine your photo-clicking habits and put caution first. In late March, a man visiting the Grand Canyon from Hong Kong tripped while taking a photo, falling over a 1,000-foot rim to his death. According to a 2018 report in the...
‘Hoss’ the Ohio hair ball is 125 pounds and counting
CAMBRIDGE, Ohio — What’s 4 feet tall, 125 pounds and is covered in hair? No, it’s not Cousin Itt of the Addams Family. It’s Hoss, the giant ball of human hair. Hoss, named after Dan Blocker’s character from “Bonanza,” is an oblong shape and is, well, hairy. Hundreds of people...
Buy a house in Italy for less than a cappuccino
Two bucks will buy you a house in the Italian countryside. Many of Italy’s ancient towns are losing residents so community leaders are taking action. The city of Mussomeli, in Sicily, is an example of a place desperate to rebuild its population. In fact, they will give you a house...
Taco Bell Hotel & Resort will have sauce packet floaties in the pool
You can spend your summer vacation at Taco Bell. If you’re a big fan of the Mexican cuisine, fast-food chain you’re going to love this immersive taco-themed getaway. It’s called The Bell: A Taco Bell Hotel and Resort and it will be located in, you guessed it, California. Palm Springs...
15-foot great white shark heading toward Outer BanksVideo
A 15-foot great white shark is moving up the coast toward the Outer Banks. Researchers are tracking the 2,137-pound fish as it migrates past South Carolina on course for North Carolina’s beaches. OCEARCH, a nonprofit that tags and tracks sharks, reports that the female shark, named Luna, was detected May...
New museum opening at Statue of Liberty
NEW YORK — A new museum opening at the Statue of Liberty is giving visitors another opportunity to explore its history and the impact the iconic structure has had on the world. The 26,000-square-foot museum on Liberty Island, scheduled to open to the public on Thursday, is the new home...
Disney will use Stormtroopers to police ‘Star Wars’ land time limit
“Move along.” It’s something any true “Star Wars” fan would love hearing from a real Stormtrooper. But, wait. They’re serious? With tons — and we mean TONS — of people desperate to visit Disney’s new Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge attraction in California and Orlando, the Los Angeles Times reports the...
Ohio roundhouse displays a century of locomotive history
Jerry Jacobson was a young boy in Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio, living near the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad, when he first fell in love with steam trains. Fast forward more than 50 years, and dozens of objects of Jacobson’s affection are on display in a new tourist attraction, the Age of...
Travel tip: Edinboro festival highlights Appalachian roots
The Edinboro Art and Music Festival is an annual showcase of Appalachian-roots art, music and culture. Scheduled for May 16-19 at venues throughout the Erie County borough, the festival includes live music, stringed instrument workshops, health and well-being workshops, professional and student art shows, food and beverage vendors, art market...
Still most visited place, Orlando had 75 million visitors
ORLANDO, Fla. — Orlando had 75 million visitors last year as the theme park mecca continued to be the most visited destination in the United States, tourism officials said Thursday. Orlando in 2018 had 68.5 million domestic visitors, a year-to-year increase of 4.1%, and almost 6.5 million international visitors, a...
More visitors could hike The Wave in Arizona
SALT LAKE CITY — A new proposal could mean bigger crowds at one of the most exclusive hiking spots in the southwestern United States. The federal Bureau of Land Management proposed changes Wednesday that would increase daily visitor limits from 20 people to 96 people per day at The Wave,...
Adult-only resort in Key Largo destroyed by massive fire
A spectacular blaze on Sunday destroyed the main building of a new resort in Key Largo, Florida. No one was injured as flames engulfed the Bungalows resort just before 5 a.m., reported the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office. Sheriff’s Office deputies responded along with multiple Upper Keys fire/rescue stations to a...
Travel tip: Website invites hikers to share trail information
Tired of taking the same old hike along the same old trail? Maybe it’s time to check out myhikes.org. The website is billed as an independent platform on which hikers and backpackers can share information on their favorite trails by importing GPX files from apps and tracking devices. MyHikes currently...
Can’t get to Fallingwater? Experience it in 3D
Frank Lloyd Wright’s Fallingwater is arguably only one of the most incredible architectural achievements of all time. And Western Pennsylvania is home to it. Bravo, for us. There’s no substitute for visiting the iconic site, built in 1935 for the Kaufmann family. And if you haven’t been there — we...
Record-breaking roller coaster Yukon Striker opening at Canada’s Wonderland
Yukon Striker at Canada’s Wonderland, proclaimed to be the world’s tallest, fastest and longest dive roller coaster, opened last week to a few lucky riders. The Striker bills itself the fastest dive coaster, reaching speeds of 80 mph; the longest dive coaster at 3,625 feet; and the tallest dive coaster,...
Travel tip: These three cities make for great weekend getaways
Weekend trips are big thing for 2019, according to Elle magazine. Driving the “bite-sized travel” trend are factors like cheap flights and diverse transportation and accommodation options. Where to go from here? These three cities are within easy travel distance of Western Pennsylvania and offer more than enough to do...
Like to take pictures of wildlife? You can help scientists out.
For one week in January, passengers aboard Le Boreal, a cruise ship operated by the French company Ponant, soaked up Antarctica’s wildlife. They stood on the ship’s decks to marvel at three types of orcas, or killer whales, swimming seamlessly in groups. They stayed up late to watch humpback whales...
Travel tip: Tiny Jim Thorpe welcomes annual indie film festival
Nestled in the mountains of Carbon County, quaint little Jim Thorpe has been called one of America’s most beautiful small towns by Rand McNally, USA Today, Culture Trip and Architectural Digest. In addition to the natural beauty, visitors come for the annual Jim Thorpe Independent Film Festival, set this year...
Old Joliet Prison offers tour-goers a ‘ruin-porn’ experience
At the start of “The Blues Brothers,” the 1980 comedy classic, “Joliet Jake” Blues walks out the front gate of Joliet Correctional Center, a looming, limestone fortress built in 1858. Now, for the first time since the facility closed in 2002, tourists can walk in through that gate. The Old...
